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With the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, a high level Center of Excellence for Basmati will be established in the state, which will promote crop diversity in the state and help in strengthening the future of the farmers.

What did Bhagwant Singh Mann say?

During his visit to Netherlands, the Chief Minister studied the best practices in agriculture and industry sector to benefit the farmers, who have played an important role in making that country self-reliant in food grain production. He said that the farmers of Punjab have over-utilized precious natural resources like fertile land and water for the welfare of the country, due to which it has become the need of the hour to take the farmers out of the wheat-paddy cycle. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that for this, there is a need to encourage crop diversity in the state on a large scale and Netherlands can help Punjab a lot in this direction.

The Chief Minister visited LT Foods’ facility in Rotterdam, where the company highlighted its presence in over 80 countries and strong relationships with over one lakh farmers. Emphasizing the need for sustainable farming, he said that to meet the international standards, it is necessary to reduce the use of pesticides and promote Basmati rice in the global market. Through the efforts of Bhagwant Singh Mann, LT Foods assured to establish a Center of Excellence for Basmati Rice in Punjab and promote assured procurement and low pesticide use farming.

The Chief Minister advocated strengthening collaboration between Dutch multinational companies and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for research and sustainable farming practices. He said that due to decreasing profits, farming is no longer a profitable business, due to which farmers are facing difficulties in making a living. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that technologies that increase the production capacity of crops have already been used more than necessary.

Chief Minister expressed hope

The Chief Minister expressed hope that this center would prove to be a catalyst in increasing real farm income and preventing over-exploitation of natural resources through increased Basmati production. During this time, he also visited the Floriculture Auction Market located in Aalsmeer, which is the world’s largest flower and plant market. Here he understood the high level of coordination of production, logistics and global distribution of the Dutch auction system. Bhagwant Singh Mann expressed his desire to adopt a similar model in Punjab also, which will strengthen the agricultural value chain and significantly increase the income of farmers.

The Chief Minister also held a detailed meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Natural Resources of the Government of Netherlands under the leadership of senior officials including the Director-General of Agriculture. Referring to the long-standing agricultural cooperation between India and the Netherlands, he sought Dutch expertise in promoting water-efficient farming, crop diversification, technology-based productivity enhancement and sustainable agricultural practices.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab is keen to adopt the advanced farming systems of Netherlands, which include the use of automation, AI, drones, data-based crop management as well as innovations in greenhouse agriculture. The Chief Minister said that as we know greenhouse farming is extremely suitable for high value crops with efficient use of water and energy.

He also proposed a possible partnership for applied research, innovation and knowledge exchange between leading Dutch institutions like Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Wageningen University and Research. During his meeting with the leadership of VNO-NCW (Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers), he stressed the need to develop long-term partnerships between Dutch companies and Punjab.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) being implemented is expected to create new opportunities for trade and investment. He also said that both Punjab and Netherlands can get bilateral benefits in areas like IT/ITES, dairy, food processing and agricultural value chain including potato production.

CM Mann’s invitation

The Chief Minister invited Dutch companies to participate in agri-tech and industrial platforms to be launched soon in Punjab, including associating with CII. He said that Punjab is becoming one of the most preferred destinations for investment across the world.

He also briefed the participants about Punjab’s progressive policy framework, including the Industrial and Trade Development Policy-2026 and Fasttrack Punjab Portal. He said that these policies ensure timely and transparent approvals.

During this, Bhagwant Singh Mann reiterated the commitment of the state government towards strengthening the technology-based, sustainable and globally integrated agricultural and industrial economy.